1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementing a unique electrophotographic layered manufacturing scheme for creating higher fidelity electrophotographic composite laminate layers using tri-level electrophotography as a process for rendering individual laminate layers to be built up to form and/or manufacture three-dimensional objects, parts and components (3D objects).
2. Related Art
Traditional object, part and component manufacturing processes, which generally included varying forms of molding or machining of output products, have expanded to include commercial implementations of a new class of techniques globally referred to as “additive manufacturing” or AM techniques. These AM techniques generally involve processes, alternatively referred to as “Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF)” or “3D printing” in which layers of additive materials, sometimes toxic or otherwise hazardous in an unfinished state, are sequentially deposited on an in-process 3D object according to a particular material deposition and curing scheme. As each layer is added in the 3D object forming process, the new layer of material is added and adhered to the one or more already existing layers. Each AM layer may then be individually cured, at least partially, prior to deposition of any next AM layer in the 3D object build process. This sequential-layer material addition/joining throughout a 3D work envelope is executed under automated control of varying levels of sophistication.
AM (or 3D printing) techniques often employ one or more processes that are adapted from, and appear in many respects to be similar to, well-known processes for forming two-dimensional (2D) printed images on image receiving media substrates. The significant differences in the output structures produced by the 3D printing techniques are generally based on (1) a composition of the deposited materials that are used to form the output 3D objects from the AM device/system or 3D printer; and (2) a number of passes made by the printing systems in depositing comparatively large numbers of successive layers of the deposition material to build up the body of material to the form of the output 3D objects.
An expanding number of AM or 3D printing processes and techniques are now available. Principal distinguishing characteristic between the multiplicity of these AM or 3D printing processes are in the manner in which the layers are deposited to create the output 3D objects, and in the materials that are used to form the output 3D objects.
Certain of the AM techniques (as this term will be used throughout the balance of this disclosure to refer to various 3D object layering and build techniques including 3D printing) melt or soften materials to produce the build layers using techniques such as, for example, selective laser melting or sintering of an input material. Others of the AM manufacturing techniques deposit and cure liquid materials using technologies for the deposition of those liquid materials such as jetted (ink) material “printing” techniques.
Examples of existing AM techniques include those generally referred to as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Multi-Jet Modelling (MJM). These techniques are being increasingly adopted for prototyping and short run manufacturing of 3D objects. AM techniques like FDM are, for example, capable of building 3D objects from many different common thermoplastic resins that are extrudable. AM techniques like MJM are, for example, capable of building 3D objects by depositing additive materials, including the same thermoplastic resins and other solids components, suspended in pigmented and unpigmented ink-like solutions. The 3D object is built up layer-by-layer by deposition of extruded resin droplets in FDM, or otherwise according to the deposition of jetted material droplets in MJM. As industrial and other applications emerge that attempt to capitalize on the flexibility incumbent in the applications of these and other AM technologies, adaptation of a broader range of techniques is being pursued to potentially exploit advantages in these adaptations from other 2D printing methods.